President Gerawd Ford chose Dowe as his running mate in de 1976 ewection after Vice President Newson Rockefewwer widdrew from seeking a fuww term. Ford was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter in de generaw ewection, uh-hah-hah-hah. Dowe sought de Repubwican presidentiaw nomination in 1980 but qwickwy dropped out of de race. He experienced more success in de 1988 Repubwican primaries but was defeated by Vice President George H. W. Bush. Dowe won de Repubwican nomination in 1996 and sewected Jack Kemp as his running mate. The Repubwican ticket wost in de generaw ewection to Biww Cwinton, making Dowe de first person to be nominated for bof president and vice president by one of de current major parties widout winning ewection to eider position, uh-hah-hah-hah. He resigned from de Senate during de 1996 campaign and did not seek pubwic office again after de ewection, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Dowe was born on Juwy 22, 1923, in Russeww, Kansas, de son of Binta M. (née Tawbott; 1904–1983) and Doran Ray Dowe (1901–1975).[2] His fader, who had moved de famiwy to Russeww shortwy before Robert was born, earned money by running a smaww creamery. One of Dowe's fader's customers was de fader of his future Senate cowweague Arwen Specter.[3] The Dowes wived in a house at 1035 Norf Mapwe in Russeww and it remained his officiaw residence droughout his powiticaw career.[4]

Dowe graduated from Russeww High Schoow in de spring of 1941[5] and enrowwed at de University of Kansas de fowwowing faww. Dowe had been a star high schoow adwete in Russeww, and Kansas basketbaww coach Phog Awwen travewed to Russeww to recruit him to pway for de Jayhawks basketbaww team. Whiwe at KU, Dowe pwayed for de basketbaww team, de track team, and de footbaww team. In footbaww, Dowe pwayed at de end position, earning varsity wetters in 1942 and 1944. In 1942 he was a teammate of former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, Adams's onwy season pwaying footbaww at Kansas.[6] Whiwe in cowwege, Dowe joined de Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and in 1970 was bestowed wif de Fraternity's "Man of de Year" honor.[7] Dowe's cowwegiate studies were interrupted by Worwd War II, when he enwisted in de United States Army.[8]

In 1942, Dowe joined de United States Army's Enwisted Reserve Corps to fight in Worwd War II, becoming a second wieutenant in de Army's 10f Mountain Division.
In Apriw 1945, whiwe engaged in combat near Castew d'Aiano in de Apennine mountains soudwest of Bowogna, Itawy, Dowe was badwy wounded by German machine gun fire, being hit in his upper back and right arm. As Lee Sandwin describes, when fewwow sowdiers saw de extent of his injuries, aww dey dought dey couwd do was to "give him de wargest dose of morphine dey dared and write an 'M' for 'morphine' on his forehead in his own bwood, so dat nobody ewse who found him wouwd give him a second, fataw dose."[10]

Dowe was transported to de United States, where his recovery was swow, interrupted by bwood cwots and a wife-dreatening infection, uh-hah-hah-hah. After warge doses of peniciwwin were not successfuw, he overcame de infection wif de administration of streptomycin, which at de time was stiww an experimentaw drug.[11] He remained despondent, "not ready to accept de fact dat my wife wouwd be changed forever." He was encouraged to see Hampar Kewikian, an ordopedist in Chicago who had been working wif veterans returning from war. Awdough during deir first meeting Kewikian towd Dowe dat he wouwd never be abwe to recover fuwwy, de encounter changed Dowe's outwook on wife, who years water wrote of Kewikian, a survivor of de Armenian Genocide, "Kewikian inspired me to focus on what I had weft and what I couwd do wif it, rader dan compwaining what had been wost." Dr. K, as Dowe water came to affectionatewy caww him, operated on him seven times, free of charge, and had, in Dowe's words, "an impact on my wife second onwy to my famiwy."[12]

Dowe recovered from his wounds at de Percy Jones Army Hospitaw. This compwex of federaw buiwdings, no wonger a hospitaw, is now named Hart-Dowe-Inouye Federaw Center in honor of dree patients who became United States Senators: Dowe, Phiwip Hart and Daniew Inouye. Dowe was decorated dree times, receiving two Purpwe Hearts for his injuries, and de Bronze Star wif "V" Device for vawor for his attempt to assist a downed radioman, uh-hah-hah-hah. The injuries weft him wif wimited mobiwity in his right arm and numbness in his weft arm. He minimizes de effect in pubwic by keeping a pen in his right hand.[13]

Over time in de Senate, Dowe was seen by some as having a moderate voting record.[21] During de 1970s, he partnered wif Senator George McGovern to hewp pass wegiswation making food stamps more accessibwe.[22] In 1982, The New York Times referred to Dowe as changing from "hard-wine conservative" to "mainstream Repubwicanism".[23]

In 1976, Dowe ran unsuccessfuwwy for Vice President on a ticket headed by President Gerawd Ford. Incumbent Vice President Newson Rockefewwer had announced de previous November his retirement from powitics rader dan run for a fuww term as vice president, and Dowe was chosen as Ford's running mate. Dowe stated during de Vice Presidentiaw debate wif Wawter Mondawe, "I figured it up de oder day: If we added up de kiwwed and wounded in Democrat wars in dis century, it wouwd be about 1.6 miwwion Americans — enough to fiww de city of Detroit".[25]

Dowe made anoder attempt in 1988, formawwy announcing his candidacy in his hometown of Russeww, Kansas, on November 9, 1987.[28] At de ceremony, Dowe was presented by de VFW wif a cigar box, simiwar to de one he had used to cowwect donations for his war-rewated medicaw expenses, containing $7,000 in campaign donations.[29] Dowe started out strongwy by defeating Vice President George H. W. Bush in de Iowa caucus—Bush finished dird, behind tewevision evangewist Pat Robertson.[30]

However, Bush wouwd defeat Dowe in de New Hampshire primary a week water. After de returns had come in on de night of dat primary, Dowe appeared to wose his temper in a tewevision interview wif Tom Brokaw, saying Bush shouwd "stop wying about my record", in response to a Bush commerciaw which accused Dowe of "straddwing" on taxes.[31]

Despite a key endorsement by Senator Strom Thurmond, Dowe was defeated by Bush again in Souf Carowina in earwy March. Severaw days water, every soudern state voted for Bush in a Super Tuesday sweep. This was fowwowed by anoder woss in Iwwinois, which persuaded Dowe to widdraw from de race.[32]

The Repubwicans took controw of bof de Senate and House of Representatives in de 1994 mid-term ewections, due to de fawwout from President Biww Cwinton's powicies incwuding his heawf care pwan, and Dowe became Senate Majority Leader for de second time. In October 1995, a year before de presidentiaw ewection, Dowe and Speaker of de House Newt Gingrich wed de Repubwican-controwwed Congress to pass a spending biww dat President Cwinton vetoed, weading to de federaw government shutdown from 1995–96. On November 13, Repubwican and Democratic weaders, incwuding Vice President Aw Gore, Dick Armey, and Dowe, met to try to resowve de budget and were unabwe to reach an agreement.[33][34] Due to Dowe's need to campaign for de Repubwican presidentiaw nomination, he wanted to sowve de budget crisis in January 1996 despite de wiwwingness of oder Repubwicans to continue de shutdown unwess deir demands were met. In particuwar, as Gingrich and Dowe had been seen as potentiaw rivaws for de 1996 Presidentiaw nomination, dey had a tense working rewationship.[35] The shutdown was cited as having a rowe in Cwinton's successfuw 1996 re-ewection by Cwinton aide George Stephanopouwos.[36]

The popuwarity of de incumbent president, Biww Cwinton, had improved greatwy from 1994 to 1996 danks to a booming economy as weww as winning pubwic opinion in de 1995 budget shutdown, so Cwinton and vice president Aw Gore faced no serious opposition in de Democratic primaries.[37] A few monds before his deaf in Apriw 1994, Richard Nixon warned Dowe "If de economy's good, you're not going to beat Cwinton, uh-hah-hah-hah."[38] Dowe was de earwy front runner for de GOP nomination in de 1996 presidentiaw race. At weast eight candidates ran for de nomination, uh-hah-hah-hah. Dowe was expected to win de nomination against underdog candidates such as de more conservative Senator Phiw Gramm of Texas and more moderate Senator Arwen Specter of Pennsywvania. Pat Buchanan upset Dowe in de earwy New Hampshire primary, however, wif Dowe finishing second and former Tennessee governor Lamar Awexander finishing dird. Speechwriter Kerry Tymchuk remarked "Dowe was on de ropes because he wasn't conservative enough".[37]

Dowe eventuawwy won de nomination, becoming de owdest first-time presidentiaw nominee at de age of 73 years, 1 monf (President Ronawd Reagan was 73 years, 6 monds in 1984, for his second presidentiaw nomination), and wouwd've succeeded Reagan as de owdest president to take office, as weww as de first Kansas native to become president (as Dwight Eisenhower was born in Texas). Dowe found de initiaw draft of de acceptance speech written by Mark Hewprin as too hardwine, so Kerry Tymchuk who was part of de "'Let Dowe be Dowe' crowd" revised de speech to cover de 'demes of honor, decency and straight tawk. It incwuded de fowwowing wine, a swat at de aww-or-noding rookie Repubwicans who had been swept into Congress in de 1994 midterm GOP wave: "In powitics honorabwe compromise is no sin, uh-hah-hah-hah. It is what protects us from absowutism and intowerance"'.[37]

In his acceptance speech, Dowe stated, "Let me be de bridge to an America dat onwy de unknowing caww myf. Let me be de bridge to a time of tranqwiwwity, faif, and confidence in action,"[39] to which incumbent president Biww Cwinton responded, "We do not need to buiwd a bridge to de past, we need to buiwd a bridge to de future."[40] Whiwe on de campaign traiw, after a speech, Dowe was standing on a stage and weaned over to shake hands. He feww off de stage, but was not injured.

Dowe was de first sitting Senate Party Leader to receive his party's nomination for president. He hoped to use his wong experience in Senate procedures to maximize pubwicity from his rare positioning as Senate Majority Leader against an incumbent President but was stymied by Senate Democrats. On June 11, 1996, Dowe resigned his seat to focus on de campaign, saying he had "nowhere to go but de White House or home".[41]

As towd in de Dowes' joint biography, Unwimited Partners, speechwriter and biographer Kerry Tymchuk wrote "dat he was going to make a statement. He was going to risk it aww for de White House. He knew his time as weader was over. It wouwd have been tough to come back [to de Senate as weader] if he wost in November. He knew it was time to move up or move out."[37]

Dowe promised a 15% across-de-board reduction in income tax rates and made former Congressman and suppwy side advocate Jack Kemp his running mate for vice president. Dowe found himsewf criticized from bof de weft and de right widin de Repubwican Party over de convention pwatform, one of de major issues being de incwusion of de Human Life Amendment. Cwinton framed de narrative against Dowe earwy, painting him as a mere cwone of unpopuwar den-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warning America dat Dowe wouwd work in concert wif de Repubwican Congress to swash popuwar sociaw programs, wike Medicare and Sociaw Security, dubbed by Cwinton as "Dowe-Gingrich".[42] Dowe's tax-cut pwan found itsewf under attack from de White House, who said it wouwd "bwow a howe in de deficit".[43]

Wif de infancy of de Internet, Dowe-Kemp was de first presidentiaw campaign to set up a website, edging out Cwinton-Gore, which was set up by Arizona State cowwege students Rob Kubasko and Vince Sawvato.[37]The Dowe-Kemp presidentiaw campaign is stiww wive as of 2019.[44]

Concerns over Dowe's age and wagging campaign were exempwified by a memorabwe incident on September 18, 1996. At a rawwy in Chico, Cawifornia, he was reaching down to shake de hand of a supporter, when de raiwing on de stage gave way and he tumbwed four feet. Whiwe onwy minorwy injured in de faww, "de tewevised image of his painfuw grimace underscored de age difference between him and Cwinton" and proved an ominous sign for Repubwican hopes of retaking de White House.[45][46][47]

During de watter hawf of October 1996, Dowe made a campaign appearance wif Header Whitestone, de first deaf Miss America, where bof of dem signed "I wove you" to de crowd. Around dat time, Dowe and his advisers knew dat dey wouwd wose de ewection, but in de wast four days of de campaign dey went on de "96-hour victory tour" to hewp Repubwican Congressionaw candidates.[48]

Dowe wost, as pundits had wong expected, to incumbent President Biww Cwinton in de 1996 ewection, uh-hah-hah-hah. Cwinton won in a 379–159 Ewectoraw Cowwege wandswide, capturing 49.2% of de vote against Dowe's 40.7% and Ross Perot's 8.4%.[49] As Richard Nixon had predicted to Dowe a few monds before his deaf in Apriw 1994, Cwinton was abwe to ride a booming economy to a second term in de White House.[38]

Dowe is de wast Worwd War II veteran to have been de presidentiaw nominee of a major party. During de campaign, Dowe's advanced age was brought up, wif critics stating dat he was too owd to be President.

In his ewection night concession speech, Dowe remarked "I was dinking on de way down in de ewevator – tomorrow wiww be de first time in my wife I don't have anyding to do."[48] Dowe water wrote "I was wrong. Seventy-two hours after conceding de ewection, I was swapping wisecracks wif David Letterman on his wate-night show".[38] During de immediate aftermaf of his 1996 woss to Cwinton, Dowe recawwed dat his critics dought dat "I didn't woosen up enough, I didn't show enough weg. They said I was too serious . . . It takes severaw monds to stop fretting about it and move on, uh-hah-hah-hah. But I did." Dowe remarked dat his decisive defeat to Cwinton made it easier for him to be "magnanimous". On his decision to weave powitics for good after de 1996 presidentiaw ewection campaign, despite his guaranteed stature as a former Senate weader, Dowe stated "Peopwe were urging [me] to be a hatchet man against Cwinton for de next four years. I couwdn't see de point. Maybe after aww dose partisan fights, you wook for more friendships. One of de nice dings I've discovered is dat when you're out of powitics, you have more credibiwity wif de oder side . . . And you're out among aww kinds of peopwe, and dat just doesn't happen often for an ex-president; he doesn't have de same freedom. So it hasn't been aww bad."[50]

The 1996 presidentiaw ewection, despite ending in a woss, opened up numerous opportunities for Dowe owing in part to his sense of humor. He has engaged in a career of writing, consuwting, pubwic speaking, and tewevision appearances. Dowe was de first defeated presidentiaw nominee to become a powiticaw cewebrity.[50]

Dowe has written severaw books, incwuding one on jokes towd by de Presidents of de United States, in which he ranks de presidents according to deir wevew of humor.

The Robert J. Dowe Institute of Powitics, housed on de University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kansas, was estabwished to bring bipartisanship back to powitics. The Institute, which opened in Juwy 2003 to coincide wif Dowe's 80f birdday, has featured such notabwe speakers as former President Biww Cwinton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuwiani.

Dowe's wegacy awso incwudes a commitment to combating hunger bof in de United States and around de gwobe. In addition to numerous domestic programs, and awong wif former Senator George McGovern (D-Souf Dakota), Dowe created an internationaw schoow wunch program drough de George McGovern-Robert Dowe Internationaw Food for Education and Chiwd Nutrition Program, which, funded wargewy drough de Congress, hewps fight chiwd hunger and poverty by providing nutritious meaws to chiwdren in schoows in devewoping countries.[57][58] This internationawwy popuwar program wouwd go on to provide more dan 22 miwwion meaws to chiwdren in 41 countries in its first eight years.[59][60] It has since wed to greatwy increased gwobaw interest in and support for schoow-feeding programs — which benefit girws and young women, in particuwar — and won McGovern and Dowe de 2008 Worwd Food Prize.[60]

In 2004, on de Larry King show, Dowe had a heated exchange wif Democratic presidentiaw primary candidate Weswey Cwark in which Dowe correctwy predicted dat Cwark wouwd wose de New Hampshire primary and oder primaries.

On December 4, 2012, Dowe made an appearance on de Senate fwoor to advocate ratification of de Convention on de Rights of Persons wif Disabiwities. Democratic Senator John Kerry expwained: "Bob Dowe is here because he wants to know dat oder countries wiww come to treat de disabwed as we do." The Senate rejected de treaty by a vote of 61–38, wess dan de 66 reqwired for ratification, uh-hah-hah-hah. Many Repubwican senators voted against de biww, fearing it wouwd interfere wif American sovereignty.[70]

In earwy 2014 Dowe began a reunion tour of his home state of Kansas, in which he sought to visit each of de state's 105 counties. At each stop he spent approximatewy an hour speaking wif owd friends and weww-wishers.[71]

In 2015, Dowe endorsed former Fworida governor Jeb Bush in his presidentiaw campaign. After Bush ended his campaign fowwowing de Souf Carowina primary, Dowe endorsed Fworida senator Marco Rubio's campaign, uh-hah-hah-hah.[73] During de campaign, Dowe criticized Texas senator Ted Cruz, stating dat he "qwestion[ed] his awwegiance to de party" and dat dere wouwd be "whowesawe wosses" if he were to win de Repubwican nomination, uh-hah-hah-hah.[74] Dowe endorsed Donawd Trump after de watter cwinched de Repubwican nomination,[75] and Dowe was de wone former Repubwican presidentiaw nominee to attend de 2016 Repubwican Nationaw Convention.[76] Dowe had attended every GOP convention since 1964, and did not consider skipping de 2016 edition even dough Trump's powitics were cwoser to dat of Dowe's 1996 primary rivaw Pat Buchanan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[37]

Former Dowe advisers, incwuding Pauw Manafort, pwayed a major rowe in Trump's presidentiaw campaign, uh-hah-hah-hah.[76] Fowwowing Trump's ewectoraw victory, Dowe coordinated wif de Trump campaign and presidentiaw transition team to set up a series of meetings between Trump's staff and Taiwanese officiaws as weww as assisting in successfuw efforts to incwude favorabwe wanguage towards Taiwan in de 2016 Repubwican Party pwatform.[77] In February 2016 Dowe donated $20,000 to hewp pay for a camp for chiwdren wif cancer in centraw Kansas.[78]

In January 2018, Dowe was awarded de Congressionaw Gowd Medaw for his service to de nation as a "sowdier, wegiswator and statesman, uh-hah-hah-hah."[79] Despite being immobiwe, Dowe signawed over to an aide to assist him in standing for de nationaw andem prior to de ceremony.[80]

On January 17, 1997, Senator Dowe was presented de Presidentiaw Medaw of Freedom by President Biww Cwinton for his service in de miwitary and his powiticaw career. In his acceptance remarks in de East Room of de White House, Dowe remarked "I had a dream dat I wouwd be here dis historic week receiving someding from de president — but I dought it wouwd be de front-door key".[38]

In 1997, Dowe received de U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Pubwic Service by an Ewected or Appointed Officiaw, an award given out annuawwy by Jefferson Awards.[82]

Dowe received de American Patriot Award in 2004 for his wifewong dedication to America and his service in Worwd War II.

On September 30, 2015, de Nationaw Commemoration of de Armenian Genocide Centenniaw (NCAGC) honored former Senator Bob Dowe wif de organization's Survivor's Gratitude Award in de category of "Hero of Responsibiwity and Principwe" for his tirewess efforts in raising attention to de Armenian Genocide and its victims.[83]

Dowe married Phywwis Howden, an occupationaw derapist at a veterans hospitaw, in Battwe Creek, Michigan, in 1948, dree monds after dey met. Their daughter, Robin, was born on October 15, 1954. Dowe and Howden divorced January 11, 1972.[93] Howden died on Apriw 22, 2008.

Dowe met his second wife, Ewizabef, in 1972. The coupwe were married on December 6, 1975. They have no chiwdren, uh-hah-hah-hah.

In recent years, Dowe has struggwed wif heawf probwems. In December 2004, he had a hip-repwacement operation dat reqwired him to receive bwood dinners. One monf after de surgery, it was determined dat Dowe was bweeding inside his head. Dowe spent 40 days at Wawter Reed Army Medicaw Center, and upon rewease, his stronger arm, de weft, was of wimited use. Dowe towd a reporter dat he needed hewp to handwe de simpwest of tasks, since bof of his arms are injured. He undergoes occupationaw derapy for his weft shouwder once a week, but doctors have towd him dat he might not regain totaw use of his weft arm.

In 2009, Dowe was hospitawized for an ewevated heart rate and sore wegs for which he underwent a successfuw skin-graft procedure. In February 2010, Dowe was hospitawized for pneumonia after undergoing knee surgery. He spent ten monds at Wawter Reed Army Medicaw Center, recovering from de surgery, and experienced dree bouts wif pneumonia. He was reweased from de hospitaw in November 2010. In January 2011, however, Dowe was readmitted to Wawter Reed Army Medicaw Center and spent about six days dere, being treated for a fever as weww as a minor infection, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Dowe was hospitawized in de watter part of November 2012 at Wawter Reed Nationaw Miwitary Medicaw Center, according to den-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.[100]
On September 13, 2017, Dowe was hospitawized at Wawter Reed Nationaw Miwitary Medicaw Center for wow bwood pressure.[101] He stayed for 24 hours before returning home.[102]

^"Armey repwied gruffwy dat if I didn't give in to dem, dey wouwd shut de government down and my presidency wouwd be over. I shot back, saying I wouwd never awwow deir budget to become waw, 'even if I drop to 5 percent in de powws. If you want your budget, you'ww have to get someone ewse to sit in dis chair!' Not surprisingwy, we didn't make a deaw." Cwinton wrote, describing de mood of de discussion (My Life, p. 681).